ART

ART; Landscapes of a Distinct Mood In Paintings and Photographs

By D. DOMINICK LOMBARDI

Published: January 30, 2000

URI BLAYER paints sentimental landscapes that are either rich in majesty or riddled with rusted debris. His passion for painting outmoded machine parts, in particular, seem strangely foreign, even Surreal. Like the Dutch Surrealist Pieter Ouborg, Mr. Blayer creates a distinct mood in his paintings: an atmosphere, which is punctuated by an obsession with the edges of our existence, whether it is at the foot of nature's most awe-inspiring vistas or amid the decaying waste of some of our lost industries.

''Uri Blayer: Paintings'' at the Chappaqua Library Gallery in Chappaqua, which was curated by the gallery's director, Larry D'Amico, contains some of the best examples of representational painting techniques by a young artist that I have seen in a long time.

In another exhibition, ''Bill Jorden: Mystical Landscape of the Celtic World,'' at the Westchester Gallery in the Westchester Art Workshop in White Plains, Mr. Jorden's photographs are an exploration of the Irish countryside.

For his work, Mr. Blayer, a resident of the island of Maui in Hawaii who was born in Israel in 1971, travels extensively in search of inspiration. To best understand Mr. Blayer's approach to art making, one should closely examine two similarly composed views of an industrial site titled ''Sugarmill in Paia, Hawaii'' (1999). One is painted on a burlap-type canvas called jute, while the second version is painted on the more refined cotton. The coarser texture of the jute affects Mr. Blayer's technique, resulting in a bit more paint application with a palette knife than the one painted on cotton requires. Also in the jute version, one might notice two strokes of green paint indicating early spring, as the second version has a dash of white (snow) and long, winter-like shadows. These subtle changes in technique and viewpoint reveal Mr. Blayer as a sensitive observer who looks for the beauty in the beast.

His best work is titled ''The Negev Desert, Israel'' (1997). In it, we see an ominous mass of clouds as it approaches the foreground where the artist stands. The thirsty earth at his feet, which remains sunlit and shadowed, awaits its long overdue drink. He captures this moment with what appears to be an effortless command of color and texture, averting his attention from the frenzy of changes that surround him as he ponders this abrupt climatic change.

When Mr. Blayer uses a lighter touch, his works more closely resemble the effects of watercolor. ''Big Bend National Park, Texas'' (1998) is the best example of this type, whereby his thinner, more transparent oils allow the white of the canvas to reflect light back, thus illuminating the paint from behind.

''Portrait of Maria'' (1999) and ''Self-Portrait'' (1999) show Mr. Blayer's prowess with the human figure. Even though the subject's right eye is too close to the bridge of her nose in ''Portrait of Maria,'' it works, because this awkward positioning seems to intensify her stare.

''Bill Jorden: Mystical Landscape of the Celtic World'' at the Westchester Gallery consists of 16 large color prints depicting the Irish countryside. Mr. Jorden takes his photographs when the sky is overcast. This type of filtered light minimizes shadows, which allows the artist to achieve his goal of capturing the ''timeless oases of nature graced with mystical waters and astonishing light,'' Mr. Jorden says in his artist's statement, which is available at the exhibition. In trying to record Celtic mythology in contemporary life, Mr. Jorden seizes the earth's inner glow, freezing moments of local color rich in texture, history and peaceful calm.

In ''Blue Boat on Lough Nafooey'' (1998), Mr. Jorden carefully composes his view so that the bright blue row boat at the shore's edge dominates the scene. The surrounding hillsides and their reflections in the still waters create an 'X' composition that subliminally draws the viewer's attention. The boat's slightly angled positioning and its lopsided axis make it seem animate. One even imagines that it has just floated in, unloading its cargo as it awaits the next call to duty.

Mr. Jorden continues his narrative flair in ''Fionna Davidson Playing Celtic Harp, Killary Fiord, Connemara, Ireland'' (1997). Mr. Jorden photographs the harpist left of center and facing away from the viewer. This positioning makes one imagine that the subject is responding to her environment as she fingers the strings. Another compositional curve can be found in ''Padraic, Old Boat, Barrels and Oars, Killary Lodge Beach, Ireland'' (1998). The sinuous space formed by the fisherman, and his boat's bow frames his companion, a dog, creating a portrait within a portrait.

''Emily and Jamie, First Cousins, Schull, County Cork, Ireland'' (1998) speaks volumes of a way of life where family and community rule. One indication of the frailties of this system is the curiosities of youth. A tie-dyed shirt, which is worn by one of the subjects, shows an out-of-place outside influence. The souls of the subjects, however, seem unchanged, and come forth as timeless, pure and knowing.

Perhaps the best example of how the past can overpower the present is ''Viewing Scopes at the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren, County Clare, Ireland'' (1998). The photograph is of a pair of tourist-friendly telescopes situated for the visitor to peruse the overlook. The weather, which is rainy and foggy, renders them useless. Yet, one might notice that this more natural, seemingly unfriendly condition is far more beautiful than any compartmentalized view one might spy from peering through the viewing scopes. Here, Mr. Jorden seems to be saying that experiencing a place is synonymous with seeing a place.

''Uri Blayer: Paintings'' at the Chappaqua Library Gallery ends Feb. 12. For information, the number to call is 238-4779. ''Bill Jorden: Mystical Landscapes of the Celtic World'' at the Westchester Gallery runs through Feb. 28. For information, the number is 684-0094.